Eagles' AJ Brown: 'Somebody Has To Be The Bad Guy'
Someone had to take the fall for the Philadelphia Eagles' epic collapse. That someone was Brian Johnson.
AJ Brown doesn't seem too upset that Brian Johnson won't return as the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive coordinator in 2024. And he's not surprised, either.
Appearing on the AP Pro Football Podcast with Rob Maaddi, the Pro Bowl wide receiver implied Johnson was really the scapegoat because "somebody has to be the bad guy" when things aren't working for a team. And in the second half of the season, things definitely weren't working.
"In this league, somebody has to be the bad guy if something don’t go well. I wasn’t surprised," Brown said. "Like I said earlier about the OC job, regardless of whoever you put in that position, it comes down to the players executing and making plays.
"Me personally, I’m not attached to whoever’s in the OC position, because I have a job to do. When my number’s called, I have to answer."
Johnson lost his job after the Eagles' 32-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card round. But he wasn't the only one.
Head coach Nick Sirianni managed to hang on for his upcoming fourth season. But Johnson, defensive coordinator Sean Desai and senior defensive assistant Matt Patricia, who took over play-calling duties for the defense late in the season, were all let go.
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And Brown is right: Someone had to pay the price. The defending Super Bowl runners-up started the season 10-1, looking like the clear-cut best team in football. And then came the epic collapse. The offense could no longer win games with the "tush push" alone. And the defense ranked 30th in points allowed per game and allowed at least 25 points in seven of the last eight games.
Now, AJ Brown & Co. will look to new OC Kellen Moore and DC Vic Fangio to turn things around quickly. Because, if not, Philly fans are coming with pitchforks.